__NOTOC__ The 23 was a

bus service Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable. History of buses Origins While there are indications o ...

which ran from

Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...

St Andrews St Andrews (; ; , pronounced ʰʲɪʎˈrˠiː.ɪɲ is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourth-largest settleme ...

History

Operation

The route dated back to the 1930s, at which time it was numbered 298 and operated by W. Alexander & Sons between

Buchanan bus station Buchanan Bus Station (originally Buchanan Street Bus Station) is the main bus terminus in Glasgow, Scotland, and is located between the Townhead and Cowcaddens districts on the north eastern side of the city centre. It is the terminus for ...

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, and

. The service was later renumbered as 23. After the company was split in 1961 by its parent, the

Scottish Bus Group The Scottish Bus Group (SBG) was a state-owned group of bus operators covering the whole of mainland Scotland. The origin of the grouping was the operators owned by and including the Scottish Motor Traction company, which were transferred to ...

, the service was operated by Alexander (Midland) and Alexander (Fife). In 1981, the route was shortened, with its eastern terminus now at Stirling. However, some Glasgow to St Andrews journeys continued to operate on Friday and Saturday evenings primarily for the benefit of university students. Through privatisation of British bus services and subsequent ownership changes, the route was acquired by

Fife Scottish Fife Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was a former bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Bus Group, formed in June 1985 from Walter Alexander & Sons (Fife) Ltd in preparation for Bus deregulation in Great Britain, bus deregulation and the subsequent ...

, part of the Stagecoach group.

Decline and withdrawal

Service levels were progressively reduced, with Stagecoach citing a "decrease in demand". In 2017 only three return journeys ran per day. The number 23 bus was withdrawn completely in 2020. Stagecoach stated that it had been underperforming prior to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

and that it was operating at "a significant loss". The withdrawal drew criticism from local MSPs.

Aftermath

On 14 September 2020,

First Scotland East First South East & Central Scotland, formerly known as First Scotland East, was an operator of both local and regional bus services in Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, Scottish B ...

introduced a new service numbered X53 which operates on the same route as the number 23, between Stirling and

Kinross Kinross (, ) is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, around south of Perth, Scotland, Perth and around northwest of Edinburgh. It is the traditional county town of the Counties of Scotland, historic county of Kinross-shire. History Kinro ...

. It serves areas, notably

Muckhart Muckhart () commonly refers to two small villages in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, Pool of Muckhart () and Yetts o' Muckhart. Muckhart is one of the Hillfoots Villages, situated on the A91 road, A91 around northeast of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, ...

, that would otherwise have no bus service. Residents in Gateside have complained about the loss of bus services to St Andrews. 9th January 2022: Service X53 between Stirling and Kinross was withdrawn, meaning passengers have to get service 52 to Tillicoultry then 202 (Stagecoach) to Kinross.

Alternative services

Today, the X24 service from Glasgow to St Andrews is significantly quicker than the number 23. However, it does not travel via Stirling or Kinross. To get this service, you'll have to get service 38 from Stirling bus Station to Falkirk, getting off at Forth Valley Royal Hospital for the change to St Andrews.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:23 Stirling-St Andrews Bus routes in Scotland Transport in Glasgow Stirling (city) Transport in Stirling (council area) 2020 disestablishments in Scotland Transport in Fife St Andrews Transport in Perth and Kinross Kinross Transport in Clackmannanshire Stagecoach Group